(Part 2) Best lighting reflectors according to redditors

https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Umbrellas-Warming-Cooling-Reflector/dp/B012UC1PMC

/u/zawszeZtoba - some guys are using this [$54.98 white fabric room divider] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZZGT4PB//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20) as an inexpensive scrim. You might also want to consider a [set of $10 reflectors for fill] (https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Centimeter-Portable-Reflector-Translucent/dp/B073PZPPT7//ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=battleforthew-20).

With this setup, you should be able to get soft, even light outdoors.

Hope this is helpful and good luck with your shoot!

http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Lighting-Reflector-Diffuser-Photography/dp/B00KAWWUVK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413993171&sr=8-1&keywords=24Inch+reflector

This would help a ton with the lighting on the dark side of his face. Otherwise I really like the composure and editing.

Canon 5d Mark IV

Canon 5d Mark III

Canon 50mm 1.2

Canon 70-200mm 2.8

Canon 26-35mm 2.8

Canon 100mm 2.8

Canon 600ex speedlight x2

Canon 580ex speedlight

Pocketwizards x3

Litepanels

Flashpoint Xplor 600 x3 and accessories (umbrellas, softboxes, triggers etc)

lots of large reflectors, tripods, light stands, cstands, scrims.

These are really useful as scrim and reflector, not a lot of people have them. Also blotting paper and a comb. I hate PS'ing shiny skin and crazy hair.

You don't want a clamp. You won't be able to adjust the angle. Get a reflector holder, something like this.

https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Studio-Holder-Attachment-Reflector/dp/B016XQZZR2 is the exact one I use, they are sold under a dozen different names and come from china, I like this style a lot better than the other style ones, and with it all being metal, I am sure it will last dang near forever...

Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Phot-R-22-Inch-Universal-Reflector-Honeycomb/dp/B01AGMM8GU/ref=mp_s_a_1_8?keywords=beauty%2Bdish%2Bbowens&qid=1571720863&sprefix=beauty%2Bdish&sr=8-8&th=1&psc=1

You have choices of didn't sizes (though apparently this size is a good choice for portraits and not too small), whiter of silver surface inside (white hours a softer light), honeycomb grid (get one with one) and diffuser stock (get one).

Have fun!

See, I'm a re-matcher a lot because I just like giving gifts. I know it sounds so douchey, but I show affection and caring through making gifts and giving gifts. And I have a bad habit of buying something I want, when I want it, so I never get very "exciting" gifts (they've been quite hit or miss on my end, but I conquer every year, haha. Tho I got a hugeass, obviously expensive gift this year! Of the 12 gifts I received (as opposed to rematching) this is the first truly awesome and thoughtful gift, and it was the first time I tried the "PLUS" option, so I think I'll pick one exchange to PLUS PLUS it. :D

cheap boom stands to hang the foam board off

Seems like a decent kit, a tad expensive maybe for what you actually get though, but I'd invest in some grippage either way so you can shape the light. While softboxes do provide nice large, soft sources, they result in a lot of spill. Maybe get a couple sets of these and rig them with these if you can with extra stands. If you can get your hands on some duvetyne and blackwrap you could also probably make some DIY solid flags and barn doors. Basically, to make it look good, you'll want to sculpt the light, not just turn them on and point them in the right direction.

If you do end up using that kit, also be weary of using the provided fluorescent globes as they'll probably have a green shift to them. Easy to correct this if they're your only light source with a FLT filter for your lens but if you're going to be competing with daylight you should have some minus/plus green gel on hand to match them. As far as I know, those kinds of fluorescent globes can't be dimmed (if they are they start flickering) so if you want to be able to control the light output that way you should use incandescent (if you can find any) or halogen globes, some hand squeezers (dimmers) and some CTB/CTO gel in various strengths.

Lots of guessing here, but the sky is probably getting washed out and the person/subject is a bit dark? The washed-out sky is monotone, which reveals the compression of the video badly. The compression artifacts hide in areas with more detail.

The trick is to get more light onto the subject, so the sky isn't the brightest thing. Electric lights such as halogen work lamps are one option, or a reflector can be cleverly placed to up the amount of sunlight on the subject. You can even use a white posterboard and an assistant to hold it, does not need to be an official fancy bounce card.

Help the subject get brighter to compete with the sky less, make them match. Then the natural clouds will help hide it.

Others can talk about camera/software options to change compression, I just know that the sky is a harsh mistress for a background.

Hi!
I would like to set up a home studio to take pictures for my family. Are those kits from Amazon (example link below) decent enough or should I invest in better equipments? Thank you!
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00LK42KJ4/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1

This should work. Couple of sizes and shapes to choose from. Have been eyeballing one for my studio as a reflector. Right now I am just using a 4x8 white bead board.

This is a reflector. For under $20 it’s definitely worth having in your kit. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071SDP1BH That one is 32”. That is a reasonable size. You can get 40” also for not much more $$.

A 12 inch pop up diffuser and a stake holder.

https://www.amazon.com/Collapsible-Reflectors-Photography-Portable-Reflector/dp/B0728H9YK5/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527168975&sr=8-4-fkmr0&keywords=transparent+diffuser+photo+12+inch

https://www.amazon.com/Wimberley-PP-400-Ground-Plamp/dp/B01FOIZ86I/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1527169170&sr=8-4&keywords=plamp+stake

The Plamp stake holds the diffuser over the flower giving you soft light on the flower, even on sunny days.

here u go. i think this is a good starting set. http://www.amazon.ca/CanadianStudio-Continuous-Umbrella-Lighting-Backdrop/dp/B00H0UVFHU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453351847&sr=8-1&keywords=green+screen+kits

> Do you have any advice about how to get the skin tones and eye whites right in the camera before going to the darkroom?

There's only so much you can do; if the lighting in the setting is warm/orange (and our eyes compensate for color temp amazingly well, it takes some time to be able to "see" it) - you can put a cooling filter on the lens, but it also takes some experience to know which filter is best -and then you need a range of filters with you, and you need the time to put them on and off. If you brought your own lights, chances are you have a much better idea of how the colors will render.

But if you're not, say, shooting for a clothing catalog where the product colors need to be as close as reality as possible, sometimes getting the feel of the setting beats color perfection; and a negative is only a starting point. It's not useful at all until it's converted to a positive, and the conversion involves decisions (whether by a darkroom worker, a scanner tech, or the scanner's automated software) - so it's "still analog" if you select those areas and tweak the color. Before computers, you'd mask off certain parts during print exposure and adjust density and colors using the enlarger, nowdays it can be done on the computer.

But for simple portraits in natural light, things like a silver or white reflector to get more light just on the face (there are popup reflectors that have white and silver sides, in several sizes can give a little snap to the image, but you need an assistant or a stand). A flash unit on low power (and often off-camera on a stand) can selectively fill in shadows (it's called fill-flash), but it will also have its own color temperature that may be very different from the setting, where a reflector will be the same tone as the room.